Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian | Opinion - Guest Columnists

Opinion: Why is the state's focus on redistricting not matched by equal attention to BlueOval City?

andre@jonesurban.com (Andre Jones) — Mon, 25 May 2026 04:00:14 -0500

“The same people who can summon a special session to redraw congressional maps in service of a national political project have had remarkably little to say about how that same national political project cost thousands of jobs and four years of economic momentum in Tipton, Fayette, Haywood and Shelby counties.”

Echols: Music as a metaphor for God

candaceecholswrites@gmail.com (Candace Echols) — Sun, 24 May 2026 17:30:55 -0500

“The person that invites me to a posture of praise is likely not the same person that brings other people to that place, which is why writers and musicians and artists and creators need to keep doing their thing.”

Opinion: How connections between Memphis and Ireland give us a language for staying

frankblanigan@gmail.com (Frank Lanigan) — Fri, 22 May 2026 08:04:53 -0500

“Ireland being honored in Memphis as part of Memphis in May looks like the usual cultural exchange on the surface. But beneath that is something more interesting: two vastly different places that recognize structure in each other.”

Opinion: Beyond redistricting rhetoric are reality and results

john.covington@memphispoliceassociation.org (John Covington) — Fri, 22 May 2026 08:03:59 -0500

“To hear many Tennessee Democrats tell it, partisan redistricting is some unprecedented assault on democracy itself — a historic political crisis unlike anything the state has ever experienced.”

Opinion: Tennessee law — not federal lawsuits — may stymie redistricting

editors@dailymemphian.com (Jack Richbourg) — Fri, 15 May 2026 04:00:12 -0500

“The speed and confidence with which the legislature acted on redistricting does not guarantee the map’s durability. This time, state courts – not federal courts – may have the final word.”

Opinion: Memphis is angry about redistricting, but secession is a 'worthless' suggestion

sathorp414@gmail.com (Susan Adler Thorp) — Fri, 15 May 2026 04:00:12 -0500

“If Memphis cuts ties with the state, where does anyone think we’re going? I can assure you Mississippi doesn’t want a Democratic stronghold on its northern border.”

Opinion: Seeking answers on redistricting in the National Civil Rights Museum

mckinneyc@rhodes.edu (Charles McKinney) — Thu, 14 May 2026 07:06:00 -0500

“Studying history yields a dividend: It brings us to a clearer understanding of who we are, what we believe, and what we do when the promise of our national creed does not measure up to the reality of our lives.”

Opinion: 'What have I learned today?'

rmaxey@dailymemphian.com (Ron Maxey) — Sun, 10 May 2026 04:00:05 -0500

“I don’t need to sing. I don’t need to dance. I don’t need to be the best writer. In short, I don’t need to chase who and what I’m not; it’s enough to be thankful for what I am and work to be the best I’m capable of being.”

Opinion: 'Uniting to create lasting change globally, locally and personally'

editor@dailymemphian.com (Vijay Surpuriya) — Thu, 7 May 2026 04:00:05 -0500

“What we gain instead is something far more valuable: purpose, friendships and the knowledge that we are making a difference.”

Opinion: Collierville should not spend tax dollars fighting Chick-fil-A

editor@dailymemphian.com (Tim Netherton) — Thu, 7 May 2026 04:00:05 -0500

“I do not feel my tax dollars should be spent on a legal fight that seems to be something that everyone has allowed to go too far. We have too many other needs in the town — things that my tax dollars in the General Fund should be going to.”

Opinion: Why Christians across Tennessee should oppose redistricting

morriss@churchhealth.org (G. Scott Morris) — Wed, 6 May 2026 14:17:18 -0500

“One need not support any particular politician to recognize that intentionally fragmenting the voting strength of a historic Black community carries moral consequences. We should at least have enough honesty to admit what is happening.”

Opinion: Too many abuse victims have no legal help. The Tennessee Supreme Court can fix that.

btaylor@hopehousememphis.org (Brandi Taylor) — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 04:00:12 -0500

“Survivors should not have to navigate a legal maze alone to secure their safety. I urge my fellow Memphians to tell the court to expand opportunities to provide legal help.”

McCreery: Germantown deserves full-time leadership

editors@dailymemphian.com (Jon McCreery) — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:00:08 -0500

“We need to change our form of government. We need to ensure our city has the full-time leadership needed to meet the demands of today and the expectations of the future.”

Opinion: Arts, culture and the future of the Memphis economy

editors@dailymemphian.com (Anasa Troutman) — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 07:17:58 -0500

“We need to build a cultural plan — a long-term strategy that guides how Memphis and Shelby County builds infrastructure for investment to integrate arts, culture and entertainment into its economic development, urban planning and community life.”

Opinion: The next county mayor must protect pre-K

kandace@first8memphis.org (Kandace Thomas) — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 06:39:17 -0500

“The youngest members of this community did not ask to be born into a budget dispute. They arrived, as all children do, with the expectation that the adults around them would provide what they need to thrive.”

Opinion: DA Mulroy on criminal justice data and accountability

editors@dailymemphian.com (Steve Mulroy) — Thu, 9 Apr 2026 13:54:09 -0500

“Delays in handling cases, jail-intake processing delays, the “solve rate” for crimes, the repeat-offender rate — these are all worthy objects of emphasis ... . But they may not fit the right (so to speak) political agenda.”

Opinion: Memphis must demand more from industrial polluters

editors@dailymemphian.com (LaTricea Adams) — Fri, 3 Apr 2026 15:35:11 -0500

“If a company’s business model depends on the exploitation of a Black city and the enrichment of a few power brokers at the top, we don’t want them here.”

Opinion: Data raises questions about accountability in the criminal justice system

editors@dailymemphian.com (Leslie Taylor) — Wed, 1 Apr 2026 12:39:06 -0500

The performance of the criminal justice system can’t be assessed without knowing the full picture. We have regular and reliable reporting from law enforcement agencies, but why don’t we have the same expectation for the district attorney and court clerks?

Opinion: 'Justice, safety, solidarity, law and order — in Memphis, they have to be the same project'

editor@dailymemphian.com (Christian Man) — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 15:46:38 -0500

“Amid the frustrating recruitment challenges facing the Memphis Police Department, I would like to turn our attention to a different critical element of our public safety architecture: the frontline civic organizations engaged in violence-reduction efforts.”

Outgoing FedEx St. Jude Championship leader: 'To the city of Memphis — thank you'

editor@dailymemphian.com (Joe Tomek) — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 04:00:02 -0500

Before FESJC’s outgoing Executive Director Joe Tomek leaves for Australia, he has some advice for Memphians.